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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Apr 1949

Vol. 115 No. 2

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Mayo Lands.

asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware that a farm of land the property of Mr. Stenson, comprising approximately 100 acres, including turbary, and situate at Cloonfaulis, Kilkelly, County Mayo (Lord Dillon's estate), is advertised for sale; that the owner of these lands has been in England for a number of years, and that there is acute congestion in the area; and, if so, whether he will arrange for the Land Commission to acquire these lands forthwith for the relief of the local congestion.

asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware that a large farm the property of Mrs. Winters, Dooeighney, Castleconner, Ballina, County Mayo, was sold recently; and, if so, whether he will state if the Land Commission will proceed to have it acquired for the relief of local congestion.

I propose, with your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, to take Questions Nos. 7 and 14 together. These two questions suggest that the mere fact that a holding is offered for sale is a sufficient reason for the Land Commission to start proceedings for acquisition. If the Land Commission took such action it would be a definite interference with free sale.

Such action, while coming to the assistance of a few, would imperil the many. It would endanger, if not actually destroy, the splendid title—the best in the world—which is conferred on each tenant on the vesting in him of his lands and for which the tenant farmers of this country have been struggling for hundreds of years. I have asked the Land Commission to take immediate steps to relieve the congestion in the areas mentioned in these two questions, and the Deputies can rest assured that neither time nor opportunity will be lost in coming to the relief of these people.

I am aware that of late years a widespread demand has arisen desiring the Land Commission to buy holdings and farms when offered for sale or about to be offered for sale, particularly in congested areas. The present land law does not permit the Land Commission to do so. I hope that a certain section of the new Land Bill, which is being drafted at the moment, will meet the wishes of the House on this subject, and I will be glad of that opportunity for a free open discussion on this question of an owner's fundamental right to sell his property to whomsoever he wishes.

Was it not a rule of the Land Commission to acquire lands for the relief of congestion where the owners had them sublet and were living away from these lands for a number of years? That being the position in the case indicated in Question No. 7, why will not the Land Commission acquire those lands? They have been sublet for a number of years and left derelict by the owners.

I did not state whether the Land Commission would or would not acquire the farms mentioned in Deputy Moran's or Deputy Commons' questions. I take this opportunity to make clear to the House and to the country generally a position which has arisen, or which has been taking place for quite a number of years past and which definitely needs clarification. I have stated in the reply that the question of relieving congestion is one which devolves on the Land Commission. It is quite all right for a Deputy to bring to the notice of the Land Commission a question of congestion in a particular area, but it would be very wrong for any Deputy to dictate to the Land Commission how that particular question may be solved. That must be left at the discretion of the Land Commission in each particular case.

I would like to remind the Minister that in the case mentioned in Question 14 the Land Commission first inspected this farm, or were supposed to have inspected this farm, some 12 years ago. If the Land Commission was doing its duty there would be no need to raise those questions now.

asked the Minister for Lands whether he is aware that a holding of land the property of Michael Ginnelly, Glenisland, Castlebar, has been vacant for a great number of years; and, if so, whether he will take steps to have it acquired by the Land Commission for the relief of local congestion.

The question would appear to refer to the holding of Michael Ginnelly in the townland of Lenasillagh. The Land Commission have no proceedings for the acquisition of these lands but the matter is noted for inquiry.

Will the Minister give an assurance to the House that these lands will be taken by the Land Commission and that he will not allow them to be sold by public auction perhaps to somebody in England, as in a former case?

I could not give such an assurance because it would be interfering with the independence of the commissioners. If I could give such an assurance there would be no need for the commissioners because then the determination of a farm would devolve on the Minister.

Can we say good-bye to land acquisition and division in the West?

The Deputy will deceive no one but himself by such a suggestion as that.

asked the Minister for Lands if he will state (i) in respect of the years 1947 and 1948 the number of acres of land in County Mayo (a) acquired for division, (b) inspected and scheduled for acquisition proceedings, (c) inspected and awaiting decision, (d) inspected and a decision made to take no action, (e) finally rearranged an estate where the rundale system prevailed; (ii) if acreage figures are not available, the number of holdings in respect of (a) to (e).

The preparation of a special return of this nature would involve an unjustifiable expenditure of time and labour. The Deputy will have to await the publication in due course of the Land Commission report in which statistics for the whole country are made available annually under the heads mentioned.

The Land Commission are now 12 months late in producing their report. There was no report for the previous 12 months. When will the report for the last 12 months be issued by the Land Commission?

The Land Commission report for the previous 12 months has been circulated already in accordance with the custom. The gathering of the vital necessary statistics takes a long time and a vast amount of time on the part of the staff is used up in the preparation of the report. I propose to adhere to the existing practice.

So we will be a year behind time with the report?

The report is issued and circulated in accordance with the practice adopted over the years.

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